Mets’ Gee Pitches Deep Into Game, and Murphy Goes Deeper, Into Seats

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Daniel Murphy of the Mets, right, with teammate Lucas Duda after Murphy's three-run homer in the ninth against the Marlins.CreditCreditAlan Diaz/Associated Press

By Tim Rohan

April 27, 2015

MIAMI — In the visitors’ dugout, Dillon Gee watched nervously as the ninth inning started. Dealing with rumors and speculation about his status, Gee had pitched about as well as he ever had, four outs from a complete game. But the Mets still trailed the Marlins, 1-0, with Miami’s closer, Steve Cishek, taking the mound.

The Mets were also in a bit of a funk. The high of their 11-game winning streak had worn off. They had just lost two of three games to the Yankees, their crosstown rivals, including an embarrassing loss the night before, in prime time, on ESPN. They had made four errors and other fundamental mistakes in that game, leading people to wonder whether they were the same old Mets.

They had only two hits against the Marlins entering the ninth inning, too.

Then Juan Lagares smacked a leadoff double over Marcell Ozuna’s head in center field, and Lucas Duda worked a five-pitch walk, and Daniel Murphy stroked a three-run homer to right-center field. He pumped his fist as he rounded first base; Gee screamed from the dugout.

Gee was more relieved than anyone else. Each of his starts is analyzed, his future is still the subject of speculation, and on Monday, that was only intensified. The Mets had started to shift Rafael Montero, his potential replacement, back into a starting role and planned to have him make a start here on Tuesday, in what could be viewed as an audition.

On Monday afternoon, Manager Terry Collins insisted that that was not the case and that the intent was to go to a six-man rotation for one turn and give everyone an extra day of rest. He suggested he would do it again, as part of the team’s strategy to keep Matt Harvey healthy in his first year back from Tommy John surgery.

Gee had reason to feel anxious, though.

He had heard the trade rumors all winter. Then, when the Mets kept him, they moved him to the bullpen. If not for Zack Wheeler’s injury, Gee would still be there.

Then Gee was subjected to a competition with Montero, an unproven prospect, and it was said to be a close call. When Gee won, there was no news conference or formal announcement.

He was so unsure about his status that he waited longer than usual, until a week or two before opening day, to secure his living arrangements in New York for the season.

“Dillon Gee, he’s going to be fine,” Collins said, addressing the idea that Montero would supplant him. “Unless something drastically happens, he’s going to be fine. Hopefully he doesn’t take anything into this, except he’s going to benefit on the backside, getting an extra day. We’re not looking to make any changes.”

This was Gee at his best, working quickly, mixing his pitches and getting batters to make weak contact early in the count. And the Mets’ defense did not fail him.

Wilmer Flores and Murphy, the Mets’ middle infielders, each of whom made an error in the Sunday night game, redeemed themselves. Flores fielded six ground balls, and Murphy took three grounders, all cleanly. In the bottom of the ninth, as an encore to his home run, Murphy ranged to his left, fielded a grounder, spun wildly and made a perfect throw.

“It’s Dan’s night,” Collins said afterward. “He’s Murphalicious.”

The way Gee and his counterpart, Jarred Cosart, were pitching, both offenses looked as if they had been lulled to sleep. Gee threw 81 percent of his pitches for strikes. Through seven innings, he had thrown 59 pitches, and the game was still scoreless. He looked as if he could last 14 innings.

Gee got two quick outs in the eighth, but then the Marlins called on Justin Bour to pinch-hit for Cosart. In a span of five pitches, all the work Gee had done unraveled. Bour lined a single into center field, and Dee Gordon punched a single to left.

On Gee’s 70th pitch, Martin Prado laced a single into center field, scoring a run to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. Collins came out to retrieve Gee, and his teammates consoled him in the dugout.

Just minutes later, the Mets mobbed Murphy as he bounded down the dugout steps, having put them ahead, and whatever mistakes Gee had made were forgiven.

“I gave him a big ol’ hug,” Gee said.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B13 of the New York edition with the headline: Mets’ Gee Pitches Deep Into Game, and Murphy Goes Deeper, Into Seats. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe